Puzzle.



HIM. LEWIS.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED ms. 9, l9l8.

' gvwe'niot Wis HMZP Imurna. wASnlncm HARVEY M. LEWIS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1'2, 1918.

Application filed February 9, 1918. Serial No. 216,248.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY M. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bulfalo, in the county of Erie and State of novelty.

It is a further general objectof the in vention to provide a puzzle embodying a puzzle board having a field delineated thereon and spaced perforations extending through said field and additional perforations or openings outside of the field, and a member having spaced prongs adapted to be manipulated in the openings to finally position one of the prongs through a central objective opening.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the several features of the device as will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of the puzzle board; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the member used in solving the puzzle.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5

designates the puzzle board which is preferably in the form of a sheet of stiff card board. On this card board sheet, a cross indicated at 6 is outlined, and the field within the outlines of this cross may be colored red, in simulation of theemblem of the Red Cross Society. Along the border or edge of the cross and within the field defined thereby, a multiplicity of spaced openings 7 are formed through the card board sheet and in addition thereto a central objective opening 8 of the same size as the openings 7 is provided. In spaced relation to the upper end of the upwardly projecting arm of the cross, a relatively large opening 9 is formed through the card board sheet and above this arm of the cross exteriorly thereof additional small openings 10 of the same size as the openings 7 are formed in the puzzle board.

It is to be understood, however, that the board need not necessarily be provided with openings extending entirely therethrough, but sockets or recesses may likewise be used, and it is to be understood that the word recesses as employed in certain of the claims, is to be construed broadly as defining both a perforation or opening, and a socket, indentation, or depression, which is closed at one end.

lldesignates the member which is used in solving the puzzle, and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this member consists of a length of wire twisted upon itself to-provide a handle portion 12, the ends of the wire being extended in opposite directions from the handle and terminating in the angularly projecting points or spurs 13. p

In. solving the puzzle, it is the purpose of the would be solver to position one of the spurs or points 13 of the member 11 in the central objective opening 8 by proceeding step by step over the perforated field of the puzzle board, engaging the points 13 of the member ll in the spaced openings. The start may be made from any place upon the perforated field, and it will quite frequently occur that the would-be solver of the puzzle will find his progress stopped by his inability to engage one of the points 13 in any one of the perforations or ooenings, without removing the other point rom the opening in which it is engaged. The openings 7 are of course definitely and precisely arranged and there is no possible way in which the objective opening 8 may be reached simply by engaging the points 13 only in the openings 7 within the field of the cross. It is necessary that the operator shall proceed so that one of the points 13 may be engaged in the large opening 9, and in order to do this, he must first proceed so that the points will be engaged in certain of the openings 10 above the cross. Thus as the operator proceeds and finally locates one of the points 13 in the opening designated 10 he can then engage the other point 13 in the large opening 9, and from this large opening, the points 13 may be engaged in other of the openings 7 in the central portion of the field until one of the points-is finally engaged in the central opening 8. The average person, would consider the larger opening 9 as means for hanging the puzzle board upon a nail, and that the points of the member 11 were to be engaged only in the smaller openings 7 and 10. After one of the points 13 has been engaged in the opening 9, the other point 13 can only be engaged in the opening 7*, and the open ings 7 are so spaced that it is impossible to engage one of the points 13 in this opening 7 before engaging said points in the openings 10 above the upper end of the cross. Thus it will be seen that there is only one possible way of solving the puzzle and it will require considerable thought, patience and ingenuity on the part of the would-be solver before he will be successful'in engaging one of the points 13 in the objective opening 8.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a very simple, interesting and amusing puzzle and one which can be produced in large quantities at very small manufacturing cost. The puzzle is primarily designed for the purpose of creating interest in the work of the Red Cross Society and in aiding the collection of finances, as an aid to the activities of said society. However, it is manifest that my improved puzzle may be adopted by other organizations or manufacturers, and instead of arranging the perforated field in the form of a cross, this field of perforations may be of various other shapes. It is also to be understood that it is not necessary to provide a member 11 of the identical form herein referred to and shown in the drawing, as this member used in solving the puzzle may be otherwise constructed of wood, card board or other materials than wire. It is therefore to be understood that while I have herein shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several features of the device, the same is nevertheless susceptible of considerable modifications therein, and I therefore reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a puzzle, a puzzle board having a field delineated thereon, and a multiplicity of spaced openings extending through said field and an additional objective opening, said puzzle board being also provided with an additional relatively large opening within the field, and a member having spaced points adapted for engagement through the first named openings by a step by step movement whereby one of the points may be engaged in said larger opening, said point-s being subsequently engaged through certain of the smaller openings, and one of said points finally engaged in the objective opening.

2. In a puzzle, a puzzle board having a field delineated thereon in the form of a cross and a multiplicity of spaced openings extending through said field and an additional central objective opening, said puzzle board being also provided beyond the end of one arm of the cross with additiona spaced openings therein, all of said openings being of uniform size and said board having a single relatively large opening therein located adjacent the end of one arm of the cross, and a member having spaced points adapted for engagement through the first and second named openings by a step by step movement to position one of the points in said larger openings, said points being then subsequently engaged through certain of the first named openings and one of the points finally positioned in the central objective opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY M. LEWIS. Witnesses M. C. LYDDANE, A. B. BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "ilommissioner of lPatents.

- Washington, D. 0." 

